Chapter 11: Prove it

[Atticus]

I’m not sure why I took our target into the woods.

My goal had been to impress her, while also making her feel so overwhelmed and out of her depth that she’d feel like she had no choice but to cling to me like a life raft in a sea of sharks. That’s why my original plan involved taking her to the La Fleur Bluet and then showing off my wealth with a little high-end shopping.

The idea was, that once she realized that she had no choice but to depend on me to know what to do and not look like a fool, I’d have her exactly where I wanted her. She would NEED me. Or at least, she would think that she did.

Easy prey.

But easy also isn’t fun. What is the point of playing a game if it isn’t fun? The reason I wanted her as the focus for this year’s games is because she has been unbreakable. The ultimate challenge.

I like a good challenge. And a challenge isn’t a challenge if you know with certainty that you are going to win.

So I did something different. I tried to be her frien